Should Your Wisdom Teeth Be Extracted?
November 20, 2020
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, could lead to serious complications for the health and appearance of your smile. However, with oral surgery, your Kansas City, MO, dentist knows how to prevent these complications and preserve your smile. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at the process of extracting teeth, and how we ensure the comfort of our patients.
The Dangers of Third Molars
At one time, wisdom teeth were necessary for humans, but over the millennia we have evolved to comfortably accommodate 28 teeth. So, for many, the eruption of these four new molars in the rear of the mouth in our late teens and early 20s could mean a host of complications. For example, they could only have room to partially erupt. Leading to a painful impaction. Other complications could infection, damaged teeth, and dental misalignment. To protect the current health, function, and stability of your smile, you need to seek treatment to remove them before they even erupt.
IV Sedation
Removing the teeth means oral surgery. The mere mention of surgery could cause anxiety in many people, especially those with a fear of the dentist. Fortunately, we have treatment options to ensure each and every patient enters a calm and relaxed state. In fact, we’re one of the only general dentist offices in the area that provides IV sedation. With intravenous sedation, people enter a very deep state of calm and relaxation, with no memory of the procedure afterward. We will monitor your vitals throughout the process and work with a trained anesthesiologist.
The Extraction Process
After we provide sedation and anesthesia, we will open the area of the gums above the soon-to-arrive teeth, and then gently extract them with a pair of forceps. Next, we suture the area closed. A friend or family member can bring you home, and we will prescribe any necessary medications.
What Happens Next?
At home, take your prescribed medications as instructed, and for the first day avoid strenuous activity. You also benefit from eating soft foods for the first day and avoiding the use of straws. Try not to poke the sutured area with your tongue. During a follow-up, we will carefully remove the sutures and make sure everything is healing as it should. If you have any questions about wisdom teeth, or about removing them with oral surgery, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Oral Surgery?
We use oral surgery to address an array of serious oral health concerns, including the risk of wisdom tooth impaction. To learn more about treating issues like wisdom tooth eruption or any other oral surgical concerns, then schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.